Amusement device.



W. J. MoLEAN.

' AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19, 1909.

941,334. Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

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W. J. MULEAN- AMUSEMENT DEVICE. APPLIGATION FILED PEB.19, 1909.

Patented Nov. 23, 1909. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lHHllllllJl witnuou UNTTED STATE PATENT WILLIAIVI J. McLEAN, OF EVERETT,MASSACHUSETTS.

ATJIUSEMENT DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, WILLIAM J. McLean, a citizen of the United States,residing at Everett, in the county of Middlesex and State of lllassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in AmusementDevices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an amusement device, its object being toprovide an apparatus or toy constructed and operative to simulate theaction of a horse or other animal diving from an elevation into a bodyof water, which device may be employed atamusement resorts and otherpublic places and adapted, if desired, to be governed by acoin-controlled means, whereby, upon the deposit of a prescribed coin, aperson may set the same in action.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a sectionalside elevation of the device taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is avertical transverse section ta en on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asectional plan view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. l is a sectionalview of the motor gearing.

The frame of the device may be of suit able construction, and includes alongitudinal tank or receptacle 1, which, when made of wood, may beprovided with a metal lining 2, and which is adapted to be filled with acharge of water 3 to a suitable elevation The frame structure alsoincludes an elevated box-like portion t which is arranged above thecenter of the tank and forms an upper supporting platform 5 having atits front side a guard rail 6. This rail 6 is employe for purposes ofeflect, and is dis posed at the frotn side of the platform.

A gear or motor casing 7 is arranged at the front of the apparatuscentrally of the tank and terminates below the portion 4, and forms aninclosure for the operating mechanism, as hereinafter described. Atthefront side of the tank and in rear of this casing 7 a supportingframework 8 is provided for a shield 9 which curves upwardly andrearwardly over the rear portion of the tank and terminates at its upperforward end at the rear of the platform 5. This shield is open at itsrear side and forms a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 19, 1909.

Patented Nov. 23, 18%).).

Serial No. 478,834.

tunnel or passageway between the rear end of the tank and the rear endof the platform.

A shaft 10 extends horizontally and transversely through the walls ofthe frame portion i and is suitably ournaled therein and carries at itsrear end a pair of oppositely extending rods 11 having inwardly bentends 12, on which are pivotally mounted in any suitable manner a pair ofhorses or other diving figures 13. This rotary carrier has its armsarranged to dip into the water of the tank successively on each halfrevolution thereof, and is designed and arranged in the normal operationof the apparatus to support one of the figures 1 above the platform andthe other within the tank, the upper figure having the ap pearance of ahorse or other animal about to dive forwardly and downwardly from thefront of the platform into the tank.

A drive shaft 1% is journaled in the casing 7 and carries at one end aloose driving gear 15 which meshes with a pinion 16 on the adjacent endof the shaft 10. On said shaft 1% is also a ratchet wheel 17, the teethof which are adapted to engage a spring-actuated pawl 18 pivotallymounted on the gear 15 when said shaft is turned forwardly, and to ridefreely in contact with the pawl when the shaft is turned rearwardly.

An arm 19 is fixed to the shaft 14 so as to hang pendent therefrom whenthe parts are in normal position, and suspended therefrom by a flexibleconnection 20 is a mo tor weight 91, which is adapted, when the shaft isturned for ardly, to be elevated by the movement of the arm, and therebyset for action to drop upon the release of the shaft for the purpose ofturning the same backwardly to normal position. The shaft is adapted tobe moved forwardly by an operating lever 22 having a handle 23projecting upwardly through and movable within a longitudinal slot 24formed in the top of the casing. This lever may, in practice, benormally held from movement by any suitable type of coin-controlledlocking means, so that, upon the deposit of a prescribed coin, saidlever will be free to be operated by the person depositing the coin.

The normal position of the parts is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, from whichit will be seen that one of the animals 13 is supported above theplatform 5 and with its feet resting thereon and apparently in positionto dive from said platform into the tank. When the lever 22 is movedforwardly and the weight is elevated, the teeth of the ratchet wheelslide over the pawl 18,. thus preventing movement of the gear 15. Uponmoving the lever forward to its fullest eX-' tent, the operator releasesthe same, and the lever is thereby drawn back to its normal position bythe dropping of the weight 21, thus turning the shaft back to its normalposition. In this direction of movement of the shaft, one of the teethof the ratchet wheel engages the pawl 18 and transmits motion to thegear 15 by which motion will be imparted to the shaft 10 to turn thecarrier a half revolution and to thus reverse the posi tion of the twofigures 13, giving the effect of a figure diving from the platform intothe water in the tank and then returning to the platform for asucceeding dive. It will be understood, of course, that the guard orshield 9 conceals the lower figure on its passage upward from the rearof the tank to the platform.

The device may be employed at fairs, excursion resorts and other publicplaces, and may be partially inclosed within a transparent casing,leaving, however, the upper end of the lever free to be operated by aperson desiring to manipulate the machine. It is intended in practice toemploy a coin-controlled locking mechanism, as before described, so thatthe machine cannot be operated for the amusement of a person until suchperson deposits a prescribed coin as a fee for the amusement derived.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1.An amusement apparatus including a water tank, a platform arranged abovethe center of the tank, a shield between the rear of the tank and rearof the platform, a figure revolubly mounted for a downward movement fromthe platform to the tank and an upward movement from the tank to theplatform, and means for operating said figure.

2. An amusement apparatus including a water tank, a platform arrangedabove the center of the tank, a shield forming a passageway between therear portion of the tank and rear portion of the platform, a revolublecarrier, a figure supported by the carrier and movable downwardly andforwardly from the platform to the tank and upwardly and forwardly fromthe tank to the platform through said passageway, and means foroperating the carrier.

3. An amusement device water tank, a platform supported above the tank,a rotary carrier provided with oppositely arranged figures movable overthe platform and through the tank, and means for operating said carrierto successively carry the figures from the platform to the tank and viceversa.

4. An amusement device comprising a water tank, a platform arrangedabove the tank, a figure movable from said latform in an orbit throughthe water in t etank, an operating device automatically movable in onedirection, and pawl and ratchet gearing between said figure and theoperation device.

5. An amusement device comprising a water tank, a platform arrangedabove the tank, a rotary carrier, oppositely disposed figuresmounted-upon the carrier for movement over the platform and through thetank, gearing for operating the carrier, an operating device foractuating the gearing and clutch mechanism for permitting move ment ofsaid operating device independently of the gearing in one direction andto conmeet the operating device and gearing for simultaneous movement inthe reverse direction.

6. An amusement apparatus including a water tank, a platform arrangedabove the center of the tank, a passageway between the rear of the tankand the rear of the platform, a rotary carrier movable in an orbitincluding a.

